New CalCPA Chair Stresses Need for More Minority CPAs

Andrea G. Cope Heads Largest State CPA Association

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Recently named
2009-10 chair of the 35,000-member California Society of CPAs, Andrea G. Cope
will emphasize the need to attract more minorities to the CPA profession
during her term. She assumes the position as CalCPA celebrates its 100th
anniversary.

As the leader of the nation's largest state accounting association, Cope noted
that while 37 percent of Californians identify themselves as Hispanic, only 4
percent of the CPA profession within the state is Hispanic. She also mentioned
that only 2 percent of California CPAs are African Americans, compared to 6
percent of African Americans in the state's population.

"I believe it is critical that we continue to support CPA career outreach,"
Cope said. "We want to attract the best and brightest to the profession. While
we have made great strides in attracting women -- 60 percent of new licensees
in California are women -- it is particularly important to reach out to
students who are ethnic minorities, so that our profession mirrors the public
we serve."

Cope, a CPA for more than 25 years, is a partner in the San Francisco firm of
Burr, Pilger & Mayer. She provides accounting, tax and financial management
services to businesses and their owners.

During her CalCPA term, Cope wants to extend the organization's outreach
efforts to the broadest possible audience of high school and college students.
She encouraged her fellow members to volunteer to visit school campuses to
discuss the advantages of an accounting career.

In honor of CalCPA's 100-year anniversary, Cope challenged each of her fellow
members to donate $100 to CalCPA Institute, a 501(c)3. She noted that the
fundraising effort will help support important programs, including financial
literacy presentations to the public and a scholarship program that provides
more than $300,000 annually to accounting students.

About CalCPA
Headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., the California Society of Certified
Public Accountants (CalCPA) (www.calcpa.org) is the nation's largest state
accounting organization and the largest CPA association in California. It
serves 35,000 members in public practice, private industry, education and
government. Through CalCPA Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, CalCPA members
provide financial literacy programs to high schools and community groups.

SOURCE California Society of CPAs

Bill Spaniel of California Society of CPAs, +1-818-546-3552,
bill.spaniel@calcpa.org